Readers Picks

Goods & Services

Best new business:

1. Eye to Eye Care
2. Old Time Pottery
3. Splurge

Hope Indy Men’s Magazine counts. Along with NUVO, a must read. Made so by the excellent columns by R. Tobias. —Chris Starkey

For top of the line service, check out the new Staples at Glendale. They really want your business each time you enter the store. They personally greet you with a smile and if you need help finding a product they immediately walk you to the item but then let you browse at your own pace. Staples could be a case study in “HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.” —David Rogier

IDGAF Clothing (I don’t give a f—-) is a local line that is growing quick. Even though it is still underground it has been seen all across the country including on MTV and on Shaquille O’Neal. —Johnny Javit

Best local attorney:

1. Stanley Kahn
2. Rob Lee
3. Keller & Keller

Best wireless service:

1. Sprint
2. Cingular
3. AT&T

Best computer store:

1. Best Buy
2. Gateway
3. Comp USA

Best audio/electronics store:

1. Best Buy
2. Ovation
3. Circuit City

Best music/CD store:

1. Best Buy
2. Karma
3. Luna

Best musical instrument store:

1. Guitar Center
2. Paige’s Music
3. IRC Music

Best video store:

1. Blockbuster
2. Hollywood Video
3. Family Video

Best automotive dealership:

1. Tom Wood
2. Blossom
3. Penske

Best auto repair shop:

1. Church Brothers
2. Firestone
3. CarX

Dan Jones Auto — personable, honest, strategic shooters who give the kind of service you’d expect from a relative. —John Carter

Best car wash:

1. Mike’s Car Wash
2. Sparkling Image
3. Kopetsky’s

I especially like the Mike’s at 12th and Meridian. The customer service is great and there is an especially attractive ex-Marine that works the wash. —Lisa Mastrianna

Best bank:

1. Bank One
2. National City
3. Fifth Third Bank

I’ve used many banks throughout the Midwest, but I’ve never had the personal service and attention I receive at First Indiana. I’ve been a customer for three years and I can’t recommend them highly enough. If you open an account there, please use my name. I want them to know how happy I am with their service and corporate culture. —Heidi Newman

Best mall:

1. Castleton
2. Circle Centre
3. The Fashion Mall

Best men’s clothing store:

1. Express
2. Nordstrom
3. The Men’s Wearhouse

Best women’s clothing store:

1. Kohl’s
2. Nordstrom
3. Express

Best vintage clothing store:

1. Broad Ripple Vintage
2. Goodwill
3. Plato’s Closet

Best shoe store:

1. Designer Shoe Warehouse
2. Payless Shoe Source
3. Nordstrom

Best jewelry store:

1. The Shane Company
2. Reis-Nichols
3. .925 Silver in the City

Best optometry store:

1. Ossip
2. Lens Crafters
3. Eye to Eye Care

At Eye to Eye Care, clients are friends. I found this out by coming across Dr. Elaine McGrath’s store by chance. Just moving to Indianapolis, I needed an optometrist and decided to give Eye to Eye Care a chance due to location. I was hesitant but as soon as I walked through the doors and was greeted by Dr. McGrath and her husband I felt extremely comfortable. The exam went smoothly, she helped me with new contacts, we chatted a bit and now we are friends. It was a wonderful visit and I would highly recommend her to anyone. —Lori Borowski

Best adult toy store:

1. Priscilla’s
2. Tasty’s
3. Keystone Video & Newsstand

Best florist:

1. McNamara Florist
2. Gillespie Florists
3. Palmer Kelly Designs

Best gift store:

1. Chelsea’s
2. At Home in the City
3. Turandot

Best hair salon:

1. Meridian Design Group
2. Great Clips
3. Flirt

Best day spa:

1. Philipe’s
2. Robert’s
3. The Villa

Best health food store:

1. Wild Oats
2. Trader Joe’s
3. Good Earth

Best health club:

1. Lifetime Fitness
2. YMCA
3. Bally Total Fitness

Best Tanning Salon:

1. The Tan Company
2. Laundry & Tan Connection
3. Malibu Tan

Best pet store:

1. Petsmart
2. Uncle Bill’s
3. PetCo

Best sporting goods store:

1. Galyan’s
2. Rusted Moon
3. Dick’s Sporting Goods

Best bicycle shop:

1. Bicycle Garage Indy
2. Matthews Bicycles
3. Bike Line

Indy Cycle Specialist has a great customer/dealer relationship. They are the last neighborhood bike shop. They truly fit the bike to the customer. Not the price to the customer. —Stephen Irons

Best book store:

1. Borders
2. Barnes & Noble
3. Half Price Books

Best furniture store:

1. Kittle’s
2. Value City
3. Gerdt

Best home accessories store:

1. Pier 1 Imports
2. Bed, Bath & Beyond
3. Pottery Barn

Best antique shop:

1. Midland Arts & Antiques
2. Southport Antique Mall
3. Antiques on the Square

Tim & Avi’s Salvage Store: I always have great inspirational moments perusing the artifacts and diamonds in the raw there. Some of my favorite home fixtures and decorative objects are from there. Definitely not over priced and definitely worth stopping by. Cool atmosphere, too. —Renae VanDuyn

Best home builder:

1. CP Morgan
2. Davis Homes
3. Dura Builder

Best real estate agency:

1. F.C. Tucker
3. Century 21
3. Re/Max

Best realtor:

1. Richard Lampe — Century 21 Scheetz
2. Joe Everhart — Sycamore Group
3. Bif Ward — F.C. Tucker

Best apartment complex:

1. Amli @ Riverbend
2. Lakeshore
3. Riley Towers

Being new to the city, I have found Indianapolis so welcoming. When I moved here from Northern Indiana I was a little intimidated but I got off to a good start at my new apartment in Pinnacle Square. The office staff gave me a copy of last year’s Best Of Indy; it really gave me some cool ideas. Thanks NUVO and Pinnacle Square. —Erin Roberts

Best tobacco store:

1. Hardwicke’s
2. Tobacco Road
3. Low Bob’s

Best liquor store:

1. 21st Amendment
2. Kahn’s Fine Wines
3. Alabama Liquors

Deano’s Vino — knows his wines and isn’t afraid to share his knowledge in a way that “non wine geeks” can understand. He refers to some wines as “Good Juice” and will give you what you’re looking for and more. He is friendly and personable — knows you by name. —Tina Wilson

Best tattoo parlor:

1. Metamorphosis
2. Artistic Skin Design
3. New Breed

The tattoo artists and piercers at Metamorphosis are amazingly talented, professional people! —Jennifer Hughes

New Breed Tattoos is the best place to get your body art done. I had an old tattoo outline that I thought I was stuck with forever, but Jerry Frost covered it with absolutely beautiful artwork and you can not tell it’s a cover-up. I get compliments all the time and when I decide to tell them it’s a cover — they don’t believe me. He/they are awesome! —Gina Goward

Best dry cleaner:

1. Tuchman Cleaners
2. Deering
3. Milto Cleaners

Milto Cleaners & Laundry. The Miltos have been through a lot the last few years. I feel it is necessary to support it as a local business so they prosper and are able to work towards raising enough money to continue fighting Nathan’s Battle. As a public, we should support Nathan’s Battle since it is a worthy charity and because it’s not just one Milto son afflicted with the disease, but two. God bless the Miltos and good luck in Nathan’s Battle. —Julia Blanford

Best frame shop:

1. The Great Frame Up
2. Michael’s
3. Artistic Design

The Great Frame Up is one of the most helpful and considerate places to bring business. They do great work for good prices and have one of the best managers in the whole world: Matt Eickhoff. If you need anything framed I highly recommend going there. —Jamie McKee

Best travel agency:

1. AAA
2. Ross & Babcock Travel
3. Ambassadair Travel Club

I booked a cruise for my honeymoon and Carleen at CP Cruises was awesome. She had our favorite alcoholic beverages waiting for us in our suite on the ship. After the cruise, she sent a thank you card and welcome home newlywed card. Now that’s customer service! —Tony Dargo

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